Signature campaign for railway zone on April 10

A signature campaign will be conducted at the Visakhapatnam Railway Station on April 10 as part of the agitation for a separate Railway Zone in Visakhapatnam. Signatures of passengers would be taken throughout that day. It would be followed up with a dharna opposite the Divisional Railway Manager's Office on April 12.

This decision was taken at an all-party meeting convened by the District Council of Communist Party of India on Saturday. CPI District Committee secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy, TDP leader V. Ganesh Kumar, CPI(M) City Committee secretary K. Lokanadham, PRP leader Kola Guruvulu and BJP City president Nagendra attended the meet.

‘Revenue-earning'

Mr. Satyanarayana Murthy said that Waltair Division was the second highest revenue-earning Division in the entire country but it was being neglected over the years. He said that the demand of the people to set up a separate zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam or at least merge it in South Central Railway was being neglected by local officials and the people's representatives.

He said that that CPI had decided to wage a united struggle along with other political parties for achievement of the demand for a separate zone.

Mr. Lokanadham found fault with the elected representatives of the region for failing to voice the demand of the local people for a separate zone.

He called upon all political parties to join the struggle for achieving the long cherished demand of the people. Mr. Ganesh Kumar recalled the humiliation done to candidates from Visakhapatnam who went to Bhubaneswar to take an RRB examination in the past.

Mr. Nagendra spoke about the injustice being done Waltair Division and said that his party would be in the forefront in the struggle.

Slideshow

A group of visually-challenged students wrote the Secondary School Certificate examination 2015 (for Class X) at Bhashyam School in Visakhapatnam. They were guided to their exam hall and seat by teacher and students of class IX wrote on paper for them sitting next to the examinees. Photos: K.R. Deepak